Von der Leyen pushes ahead with reparations loan for Ukraine as Belgium maintains its opposition
Ursula von der Leyen has offered sweeping guarantees for Belgium to agree to an unprecedented reparations loan for Ukraine. Belgian authorities say risks could be fatal. EU leaders will gather on 18 December to make a final decision. If no deal is found, the EU will resort to joint debt.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/03/von-der-leyen-pushes-ahead-with-reparations-loan-for-ukraine-as-belgium-maintains-its-oppo
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
00:00European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that Belgium will receive sweeping guarantees in order to unblock a controversial reparations loan for Ukraine.
00:13Belgium remains opposed to the scheme, which would channel frozen Russian assets to cover Ukraine's financial and military needs for the next two years.
00:21The bulk of the assets, about 185 billion euros, are held at Euroclear, a central securities depository in Brussels.
00:29We have listened very carefully to Belgium's concerns, and we have taken almost all of them into account in our proposal that is today on the table of the reparations loans.
00:42We have very strong safeguards in place to protect member states and to reduce the risks as much as possible.
00:52The reparations loan is von der Leyen's preferred option to cover the 90 billion euros Europe is meant to contribute to funding for Ukraine.
01:02Since the start of discussions in September, Belgium has demanded all-encompassing guarantees from other member states to shield itself against retaliation from Moscow and prevent multi-billion euro losses.
01:13If no deal is found on the reparations loan, the EU will resort to joint borrowing, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
01:21The guarantees outlined on Wednesday present the Commission's most comprehensive attempt to overcome Belgium's resistance before a crucial EU summit on 18 December.
Be the first to comment